Mercury
by Aviationbirdies
Summary: Most people believe that everyone has a defining moment in their lives. Bella Swan just didn't think hers would be in the form of golden eyes staring at her, urging her to step away from the cliff. It's not that she wanted to jump, she came here against her will, she couldn't fight the power controlling her. But the golden eyes looking back at her. Alice's eyes, maybe they could.
1. Ch1: Golden Eyes

Author's Note:

Hey so this is my first fanfic in a LONG time. I used to have more on here from like years ago but I deleted them because I just wasn't happy with them. This is my first attempt at writing a fanfiction in like five years. I just had this scene in my head and it turned into a full blown plan for a story. This is probably going to be a long ride. Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Golden Eyes

Most people believe that everyone has a defining moment in their lives. You know, the one that is pivotal in a person's future, the one that changes a person's views, that shakes them to their very core. It's usually things you see on TV or in movies, a dramatic scene and a big realization. But I wasn't most people. My life was nothing special. I moved from Phoenix to Forks and that was it, the most active time in my life was packing and unpacking boxes and having to learn the same dull subjects in a different setting. So why was I standing here soaked to my bones, two feet away from the edge of a cliff?

The wind was screeching, thrashing at the many trees that lined the small clearing I found myself standing in. If you asked me why I walked here, in the middle of a god damn monster of a storm, I couldn't tell you. I turned from the line of trees to the drop that lay mere steps from where I was. The sky looked as if it were a wall of dark stone, dismal grey as far as the eye can see, with only occasional flashes as cracks of lightning came down here and there to scorch the earth. I'm not sure what possessed me to look down, but as I took one step closer to the edge I could see nothing but angry black waves, trying with all their might to make it up the cliffs edge. To make its way up to me. I was at least a good forty feet from the treacherous waters that lay below, but an unknown part of me was saying, no _screaming_ at me. Screaming that it wanted me. Screaming that I needed to jump but also screaming for me to stay far _far_ away. I don't know where it was coming from, all I knew is that it was the same thing that brought me to this ledge in the first place. My whole body felt compelled to go near the end, dive head first into the water and let the dark void that awaited me to engulf my body and carry me off to god knows where, but at the same time there was an instinct inside of me that was saying this wasn't me. I wasn't in control.

 _Fight it. You have to fight it._

Those words kept playing over and over again. Fight what? What was I fighting? Myself? I had never before felt this strong of a pull in my entire life. It wasn't a desire to die. No, I knew quite well that I wanted to live. I mean, I moved to Forks, Washington, not Siberia. I wasn't that miserable. Just lonely, but that didn't mean I wanted to die. In fact, if I jumped in, I had a feeling I'd still fight for my life. So, what was this? Was this even me?

My foot moved forward on its own accord and I gritted my teeth. I can't shake this. Whatever _this_ may be.

 _Go. Go. GO!_ It was screaming at me. I gripped either side of my head, my nails digging into my temples, hoping with every ounce of my being that I could fight this invisible force that seemed to be warring inside of me. With as much power as I could muster I ripped my eyes from the violent seas before me and willed my body to move away from the ledge, only causing myself to stumble and land on my ass. _I needed to make it back to the woods._ I turned my eyes to the forest that towered over me. The last thing I wanted to see was a pair of glowing crimson eyes staring back at me from the trees. Call me crazy, which at this point, it wouldn't be hard to believe if I was, but the shape of those eyes looked almost human and, for whatever reason, they looked incredibly murderous.

Great. If this stupid pull didn't get me over this cliff and kill me, then whatever was in the woods with me probably will.

My whole body violently flinched as a deafening clap of thunder shook through my very chest. In the split second that I had looked away from the woods the eyes had vanished. Either I'm seeing things or I'm just not seeing where it _went._ God, now I'm starting to hope I'm going crazy.

I lifted a trembling hand to wipe the damp locks of hair that had been whipped into my face. I need to get up. I need to move. I began to inhale deeply, only to stop myself abruptly as I heard, what was unmistakably, a growl and then a snap… and then another, and another. It was coming towards me. Yep, I'm going to die here.

I dug my heels into the ground and my hands grasped at the dirt as I clawed my body away from the noise, away from the trees that held the unknown terror coming towards me. And then my hand grasped at nothing. I was confused for only mere seconds as a new form of fear washed over me. _I was on the ledge._ One more move and I would be plunging backwards into the roaring waters below. But whatever it was out in that forest was still coming. I could hear the crack of branches, crunches of leaves. It was coming and it was coming _fast._ My head whipped back to look down at the waves smacking relentlessly against the rocks and that mysterious pull came back like a freight train, begging me to jump head first into what would surely be my death. But could I survive that? What were my choices? Death by drowning, being eaten alive by whatever the hell was hiding among the trees, or, if I'm lucky, I hit my head on a rock and it's lights out immediately.

I swallow hard. These choices fucking suck.

"…Stand up…"

That's funny. Either the wind sounds very strange or I'm hearing things now too.

"Damn it, Bella, stand up! You need to stand up _now!"_ It might have been the impending doom I was facing or just the trauma of whatever the hell was going on taking its toll but I swear that voice sounded like it belonged to an angel. It was so out of place for the setting I was in. In the midst of this god awful storm, the sky an ugly grey, the winds howling endlessly, and rain pelting against my entire body with a vengeance, this glorious, melodious voice was so very out of place. Yet, it was also completely familiar and just what I needed. Whatever daze I was in when I looked at the ocean was now gone and this voice was pulling me back.

"Get up! God, please, Bella, get up! We need to move!" While whatever had came over me before no longer had power, it left my body drained. My head lulled to the side and my eyes struggled to focus. My body suddenly felt incredibly heavy as my mind struggled to encourage even the smallest movement of my legs. I felt drained, like I had just been to hell and back.

"C… Can't." It took the last of my energy just to mutter one word.

"Shit," The angel growled. I heard footsteps come towards me before they stopped right in front of me. An arm slipped around my back and a hand slid under my legs as I felt myself being hoisted up. In the powerful haze that had washed over me, I still managed to lift my head slightly and look up at whoever was now carrying me. The most beautiful eyes were looking back down at me. Radiant golden, etched with fear and concern, searched my own as I took in the gorgeous face of (what I hoped was) my rescuer. Even in the dark of night and the gray of the storms I could make out flawless porcelain skin, a sharp sculpted jaw, and short, dark brown hair that was drenched from the rain. But drenched or not this woman still looked like an angel. Part of me is still wondering if I've gone crazy or died.

"I'll take you somewhere safe, Bella," she whispered as she cradled me closer to her cold chest. "I promise."

And I knew I would be safe. I didn't know this woman, I didn't know how she found me, or why she was in the woods during a storm, or hell even how she knew my name, considering I'd been in Forks a total of one week and still haven't even managed to memorize half the names of my classmates yet. Still, I couldn't bring myself to care at this moment. All I cared about now was the overwhelming urge to shut my eyes and sleep off the dilapidating fog that seemed to be engulfing my mind.

"… He won't… Promise to… Won't leave…" I struggled to focus on the things she was saying but within the safety of her arms, I couldn't help but give in, rest my head on the shoulder of my protector, and let exhaustion overtake me.

...

I woke with a groan, a shrill beeping was going off right next to my ear and as I begrudgingly cracked my eyes open I noticed the dull streams of Fork's shrouded sunlight picked threw the single window of my room. My neck cracked slightly as I began to sit up and realized that I was somehow in my room again, laying on my bed, in a dry pair of cotton shorts and one of my old band tees. Funny, I couldn't remember coming back home last night, let alone putting on these clothes. Did that even happen last night?

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and swung my legs over the side of the bed, my bare feet hitting the freezing floor before I stood and stretched. The aches in my entire body as I began to move told me that, yes, maybe last night did happen. But if so, then who took me home?

It didn't really matter right now, however, as I would be late for my second week at Forks High if I didn't take a shower and get moving.

I let out a long sigh. God, my second week at _Forks High._ You would think the dread of going to that place would lessen after the first week was over, but it did not. Fork's High didn't get very many new kids. It had been a little over a year since the newest family had arrived in Forks, the Cullens. According to one my classmates, Jessica, who decided to latch herself onto me the day I arrived, they were a close-knit family. Only socializing with themselves which made it hard for the other students to fawn and gawk over their new-ness. Not me though, unfortunately, I didn't possess this intimidating glow that the entire Cullen clan seemed to have radiating from them. From day one, I was surrounded every second by a multitude of curious students asking me what Phoenix was like, why I was moving, what I liked to do, and various other things. This didn't really sit well with me however, considering I'm not that interesting and prefer to spend my lunch periods with a good book, calming music, and a table full of nothing but solitude. That is not, however, what I got.

A group of fellow classmates have taken it upon themselves to claim me and the table I thought would've been my Table of Solitude as their own little social circle. They weren't all that bad though. There was Jessica, the one I had quickly come to realize is somewhat of a gossip, Mike, who was friendly enough, if only slightly annoying, Eric, a bit of a dork but still good company, Angela, the only person who didn't bombard me with questions and probably the only one I felt comfortable enough to hang out with so far, and then Lauren, who was just… Lauren. Either way, I couldn't really complain. This was more of a social circle than I had back in Phoenix. Still, with all the stress of a new school setting, a new class schedule, meeting new people, and adjusting to living with Charlie, my dad, fulltime for the first time since before I could even remember, I found myself longing for at least a moment during the school day for the buzz of the new girl to calm down. I would find myself during class or lunch, sneaking a glimpse past what seemed to be my new friend group, to the curious Cullen family, all huddled around a lunch table, silently picking at the food in front of them.

I was told all about them, eagerly, by Jessica, during my first day at Forks High School. There are a total of four teenagers. Three boys, Jasper, who always seemed to look like someone kicked him in the gut every time I've seen him, Emmet, who was possibly the biggest high school student I'd ever seen (Seriously that guy looks like he could take down a bear with his hands tied behind his back), and Edward, who just looked like your average broody teenager, not that I was one to talk. Then there are two girls, Rosalie, a drop dead gorgeous blonde who had this intimidating air about her, and finally, Alice, possibly one of the most beautiful human beings I'd ever seen in the entirety of my existence. Alice was the smallest of all of them and strangely enough the one that I had decided, was possibly the most approachable. The air about her was different than the others. She had this welcoming aura to her that drew me in almost immediately when I first watched her stride into the cafeteria with the others. I had learned, however, upon mentioning this to my new friends, that I was alone in thinking she seemed inviting. Maybe I had formed this opinion, because out of all the Cullens, she was the only one who ever met my gaze. It happened very few times, but each time our eyes would meet, a moment would pass, she would flash me this heart-stopping smile and then continue with whatever she was doing. I had noticed that many of the students had taken up the tendency to keep their eyes from wandering onto the Cullens for too long. I mean, they were a stunningly gorgeous group of human beings. I was told they were all adopted, but the beautiful qualities they all seemed to share made it hard to believe that. It was an odd situation with them that people tended to avoid speaking about, so I could see the intimidation some of my classmates might be experiencing, I, on the other hand, just didn't care enough not to stare.

I had gotten ready for school and made it through the first half of my day without anything of interest occurring. I shared a few classes with some of the Cullens. During the first part of the day Edward and I shared Biology and Jasper was in the same History class as me, then there were a few I had with my new friend group as well, of course we all had lunch together, and during the second half I shared math with Rosalie and finally English with Alice.

I was fully prepared for lunch to be the same as it had been the past week. An hour of Jessica rambling on, Mike sitting a little bit _too_ close for comfort, and me eating and mumbling "Mhm" as I pretended not to tune out. Honestly, after last night I welcomed a day of nothing new. I still was struggling to figure out what had happened last night. I had so many questions and no idea where I'd find the answers for them. I knew, however, that without a doubt the events of last night were real. I knew the minute I was heading out the door and saw that my shoes were now caked in mud. I'm sure that could've only been due to the fact that I was hiking around the woods for some unknown reason, in the middle of a giant storm. But today's lunch period was definitely not relaxed as I had hoped. At least, it wasn't relaxed for me. From the moment I sat down, I saw her, Alice Cullen, eyes locked in on me from across the cafeteria. Her look was intense, never wavering, never wandering. I thought that she was angry for some unknown reason. Maybe I had cut her off when driving to school without knowing? Maybe she hated my outfit today? I looked back at her but I didn't see anger in her stare. I cannot tell you what I saw in it. She was just _transfixed._

"It looks like you have an admirer, Bella." Angela teasingly whispered in my ear.

"Oh, yeah, I noticed that Alice chick was staring at you," Mike chimed in, a mouth full of sandwich as he spoke. "She's really a weird one."

"Seriously, Bella, she has _not_ looked away from you. What'd you do to her?" Jessica leaned in, no doubt hoping to get a new piece of juice gossip.

"What? Nothing!" I muttered as I turned my attention back to the people sitting at my table. "I don't know…"

I took another quick glance back at her, only to see she had turned her head and was now having a conversation with her siblings. Whatever their conversation may be, they did not look entirely too pleased.

Normal chatter among my table resumed and after about two minutes, I could feel it again. Her eyes boring holes into my back. I chanced the briefest of peaks back at her and could tell she was staring right back into my direction. It was uncomfortable yet not totally unwelcoming for some odd reason. Her stare it seemed almost… Protective, in a way. Like she was prepared to jump in front of some unknown assault for me.

I shook it off and tried to ignore it as best as I could for the remainder of my lunch period before I was off to the rest of my classes. And for the next few hours, things were back to normal. When math came, Rosalie did what I had seen her do the past week, pretend like no one else existed. I chatted with a few of my friends in my other classes and almost forgot the stare ever happened by the time I got to English. _Almost._

I took my seat at one of the tables in the back of the class. This was usually my go to. The back of the class meant the teacher wouldn't call on the new girl as much, and so far, the teachers all seemed ready to call on the new girl, regardless of where I sat. I flipped open my notebook and grabbed my pen, tapping it against the metal table mindlessly as I stared out the window and waited for class to start. I did notice the chair next to me scrape against the tile as someone pulled it back and sat down, but this being the last class I have until school ends, and my body still feeling the effects of last night's trauma, I couldn't bring myself to care to see who was sitting next to me. That was… until they spoke.

"Hi, I don't think I've actually introduced myself." I turned my head slowly as a small, beautiful voice spoke to the side of me. "I'm Alice Cullen."

I gasped and dropped the pen from my hand as my eyes finally landed on the person sitting next to me, a pale white hand extended out in front of me. I looked down at the hand offered to me and back up to the eyes staring back and couldn't help it as I felt my body push back against the chair to create some distance.

Golden eyes. _Golden eyes._ They were the same.

A searing pain burned through my head and the events of last night flashed through my mind.

" _…Take you somewhere safe…"_

That voice was the same, those eyes were the same, the pale white skin and her features, they all… were… the same.

I couldn't think of anything else to say. I couldn't, in a million years, imagine that my rescuer, that supposed angel, was a classmate that was currently sitting right next to me, waiting to shake my hand. So, what did I do, aside from leave her hanging like a damn idiot? I blurted the first thing that came to my mind.

"You were there."

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Author's Note:

So when I was writing this it was literally just flooooooooowing from me. Felt good too! Tell me how you guys like it. You all will be my motivation.

Oh also I'm editing this on my own so if anyone wants to be my beta, shoot my message. That would literally be so amazing!


	2. Ch2: Odd

Author's Note: Again, this is edited by myself so if any of you are willing to beta I will be forever grateful! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

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Chapter 2: Odd

"You were there," I gasped out. "Last night, you were there!"

"I'm sorry?" The golden eyes staring back at me flashed a brief sign of hesitation before they clouded with concern. Alice Cullen was sitting next to me, her hand now dropped back down into her lap, resting atop exposed, perfectly white legs as she continued to hold my gaze, her head cocked to the side. Honestly, I might have thought that action would've been cute, if my mind wasn't overheating and these foggy glimpses of last night weren't clouding my vision so much.

"The cliff's edge," I grit my teeth, struggling to push past an increasingly intense headache. "At the edge of the forest. I saw you. You _saved_ me."

"My! For whatever reason would I be out in that beast of a storm last night?" She exclaimed, her hands fluttering from her lap in emphasis. "That must've been quite a dream though, Bella."

"I don't- It wasn't-" I struggled to find the right words. She shot me down so fast I felt as if I had whiplash. I guess it may as well really have been a dream. I mean, who am I kidding? This girl sitting in front of me isn't _tiny_ , but she's definitely smaller than me. I have an inch or two on her in height, I'm sure, so how could such a petite person carry my sorry, soaked ass all the way from the edge of a cliff to my bedroom? Why would she even be out there in the first place? Hell, I'd bet the wind would sweep her off her feet before she could even begin to carry me the however many miles I had supposedly trekked to reach my unknown destination. Yep, that does it. It definitely was a dream. My muddy shoes could've been anything. The last time I wore them I could've stepped in dirt and didn't even realize it. I was overreacting and having a vivid dream from the stress of the move. That's all it was.

 _But it felt SO real._ Nope. No. I can't go there. Dream dream dream. It was a dream… A dream I had had. About Alice Cullen, whom of which is sitting next to me. Whom of which I just admitted to having a dream about. Cue the mental kick to my ass I'm giving myself and… Cue the obvious blush. Damn it.

"I must say I'm flattered. The new girl, Bella Swan, dreaming about me of all people." I could practically feel my cheeks boil. A grin began to play across her soft features. My heart stopped then and there and for a second, I forgot what it was I was freaking out about. Her smile was blinding. Her teeth a perfect gleaming white that made her entire face glow. The grin reached her eyes and, as fucking cheesy as I know this sounds, they literally sparkled as they looked back into mine.

"I can probably name a handful of students here that would just explode with jealousy if they heard that." She laughed. And _oh god_ how she laughed. If I thought her smile was jaw dropping, then her laugh was just fucking heart stopping. I had never heard a more magical sound than the sound of this small human sitting before, giggling up a storm at her own joke. Huh, Alice Cullen was a bit of a dork. A gorgeous dork, but still. Who knew?

She stopped laughing and leaned in close to me, a grin still tugging at her soft pink lips. There was a brief change in emotion as her lips grazed my ears _ever_ so slightly.

"Do you often dream of me, Bella?" she whispered.

Breathe. Breathe, Bella Swan. Remember how to breathe.

She had pulled away now, an ever-growing mischievous look played on her face as she shot me a wink. This time, my jaw really did drop. Was Alice Cullen flirting with me. Me, Bella Swan. Her, _The_ Alice Cullen, unobtainable, unapproachable. Suddenly, sitting down next to me, the new girl, and whispering in my ear. Who in the hell is this girl?!

Well, at least she didn't seem offended or weirded out by my clumsy confession of maybe dreaming about her. So, I guess we're off to the right track so far. I've spent two minutes with this girl and she's already managed to turn my face into what I can only imagine is the color of a bright red tomato, while at the same time completely dazzling me with an overwhelming amount of charm. I couldn't find the words to describe her. She was… Something, to say the least.

"So, be my partner today?" Her voice chimed again and her demeanor changed from flirtatious to giddy as she bounced on her chair.

"Um… What-"

"Okay class!" The teacher burst into the room before I could get the rest of my question out. All eyes turned to the front of the class as our teacher began her lesson for the day. My eyes either stayed at the front of class or on my notebook. Usually, I would've let my wandering eye get the best of me and sneak a glance or two at the peculiar girl perched on the chair next to me, but not today. I didn't need to, not when I could practically feel her eyes raking in every ounce of me as I sat to the side of her. She may have thought she was being discrete. She was incredibly mistaken. I was stared at most of my life. Back in Phoenix, I was horribly out of place. The weird loner girl who would rather stay in on weekends than party with the "cool" kids. So, I _knew_ the feeling of kids watching me. It was like a growing super power of mine. If someone was across the school, talking about me, my senses would tingle. And right now, with Alice Cullen's unwavering gaze she tried (unsuccessfully) to hide, my senses were _screaming._ I didn't dare look back. I could imagine how awkward it would be if I busted her for unashamedly staring at me. So, what could I do? I swallowed hard and continued to look forward, trying my best to focus on what was written on the chalk board in front of me.

"Pair up," The teacher stopped her scribbling onto the chalk board and turned to face the class. "You'll all need to find a partner for this assignment. It will be a quarter long project on the materials we've been going over. I want you to take a scene from one of the Shakespearian plays you've been studying and transform it. You can transform it in any way you want, just as long as I see that you've both put time and effort into it. Now, pick your partner and your scene, wisely. I'll let you discuss this amongst yourselves for the rest of the period."

"So partners," Alice was now fully facing me, her entire body turned towards me on her chair. "Bella?"

I turned to face her and gave a hesitant smile as gleaming golden eyes once again met mine. I don't think I'll get used to this. Those eyes, they're a pure golden shimmer that I've never seen anyone else possess. They're warm, inviting, and genuine. Yet, due to that strange dream, each moment that I spend looking at them, my mind can't help but go back to flashes of them, filled with concern as they looked down at me. It felt as if this dream was haunting me.

She cleared her throat, awaiting my answer. I was trapped between the classroom wall and Alice, who had moved her chair in the path I would've needed to make my break for it and find a more familiar face to buddy up with. What were my choices? I could either agree to be her partner and pray that this eerie feeling I've been getting from her all class period would go away, which I highly doubt that it would, or I could make a desperate escape for another classmate by climbing over this table, no doubt hurting my ass trying and possibly her feelings as I do so. The thought of a hurt Alice Cullen, for some reason, didn't sit well with me. I'm sure if you hurt the small angel sitting to the right of me, it would be like hurting an adorable little puppy and I do not hurt puppies.

"Yeah," I finally sighed. "Let's be partners."

"Yes!" She practically bounced right off her chair as her arms flung out from either side of her and brought me in for a surprisingly bone crushing hug. "This is going to be _so_ great, Bella! I already have some ideas!"

Jesus, I can already tell that she's going to be a handful, but oddly enough, I couldn't bring myself to mind that.

"You wouldn't mind if I stopped by your house tonight, would you?" I swear to god her cheeriness was making me dizzy. There was a certain amount of sunshine-y energy that Alice exuded that I could just not keep up with. It was leaving me winded. Or well, I think it's that. It could also be the fact that I was still in her arms, and for some odd reason, not only did this girl have a killer smile and a magical laugh, but she also smelled _so_ good it was making my head spin. Not that I take the time to smell all the people around me. I'm not weird. No, it wasn't on purpose. As she crushed me into her arms, my head held close to her hair, it just hit me like a ton of bricks. Her scent, it was strong in the best ways possible. It smelled like what I could only imagine a field of the freshest roses would smell like, mixed in with the familiar calming fragrance of a meadow, freshly covered in morning's dew. Something tells me, whatever this was, it wasn't perfume. It was just _her_ and it was utterly intoxicating.

"I feel like it's important for us to get an early jump on this. The sooner we start working the more likely we'll be to get a great grade!" She pulled back, her hands still on either of my shoulders as she eagerly awaited my consent.

"Uh, yeah, sure," I conceded. Damn, I just cannot say no to this girl. "Um, my room is a mess though. I haven't finished packing yet…"

"That's fine, really I don't mind! I can be there later tonight. Is seven okay?"

I nodded reluctantly and she finally released me from the strong, yet gentle, hold she had on me. Turning back to my notes, I began to process the idea of a Cullen, Alice Cullen, coming into my home. The entire student body of Forks High School had made it sound as though they were these intimidating people, who none could ever socialize with. But if that's the case then why were plans just made for a Cullen to come spend time at my house? Plans that I didn't even make. Plans that _A Cullen_ made for me. Either Alice is the exception to the Cullen clan or I'm the exception to the entire population of Forks, but I'm not that special. It had to be the first option. Maybe people were just too nervous to even try with her? Sadness washed over me suddenly as my thoughts turned towards Alice. What if people were so daunted by the Cullens' appearance that they didn't even try to approach them? Was Alice just lonely and eager to make a friend who had yet to fall into a similar mentality towards them as the rest of Forks High? I couldn't explain why the thought of Alice Cullen feeling sad or alone made my heart break in two. The idea of anything hurting the small, sweet girl before me had me feeling such strong dread. I don't know why I should care. I just met this girl. Usually, it takes a lot for me to care about other people's feelings, yet I still found myself truly uncomfortable at the thought of anything that could possibly make her sad.

Odd. Alice Cullen was odd and I could not, for the life of me, come up with a better word for it. She was odd and was making me feel odd too.

Her sudden giggling stopped my mind's incessant, confused inner babbling in its tracks. I didn't know until I heard it that I had secretly been longing to hear her laugh again. And it's only been an hour since the last time I heard it. God, what the hell is going on with me? Why is my whole brain caving in on itself from one tiny person just simply saying hello.

"What's so funny?" I heard myself ask without really processing it and without my control, I also felt myself allowing the smallest of smiles as I looked on at the adorable pixie, sitting next to me, laughing to herself.

"Oh, I just thought, if the kids here would be jealous of you dreaming of me, could you imagine just _how_ green with envy they'd be if they knew I was to be the first into Bella Swan's new abode!" She threw her head back and let out another genuine laugh, her eyes closed as she smiled in pure glee. "I know for sure, that that Mike kid's eyes will just simply pop right from his head!"

And yet again she has managed to drop my jaw straight down to the damn floor. Odd. Yes. Alice was odd. But what's more odd is that I found myself liking it.

…

"Heyyo Bella!" Mike calls out from clear across the parking lot, his arms flailing drastically in the air in a desperate attempt to get my attention. As if screaming my name wasn't enough.

"What do you got going on tonight?" He gasped out as he had practically just sprinted to where I stood by my car.

"What?" I sighed. I had tried so hard to book it to my car the minute classes got out. I knew. I just _knew_ Mike was itching to ask me something earlier in gym class, which is exactly why when the final bell rang, I gathered my stuff, changed from my gym clothes and made a mad dash to the parking lot. Apparently, I wasn't fast enough.

"La Push baby!" He gave me this goofy grin and I just stared back at him with a blank expression.

"Am I uh… Supposed to know what La Push is, Mike?"

"Beach, waves, bonfire! A bunch of us are going down there. Eric, Jess, Angela, and some others. You in? I could, you know, drive you since you're new here and may not know the way or something." His eyes lit up with so much hope at his suggestion that I almost felt bad if I said no. 'Almost' being the key word here. Something told me a car ride alone with Mike would give him the wrong idea and something even louder told me I'd be hearing it from Jessica if I went anywhere near him without her around. I think they are somewhat of a thing. In the short period of time that I've been here I've figured out, without a doubt, that if they're not a thing at least Jessica _really_ wants them to be. And she's incredibly territorial of him. So yeah, by the first day I knew it would be best to stay away from Mike Newton. Not that I wanted to be hanging around him in any sort of romantic way anyways. He just wasn't someone I'd be interested in. I'm not sure what my type may be but I knew he was not it. Yet in the past week he keeps coming back around me with great persistence. Once my shiny new kid glow wears off he'll definitely cool down. One can only hope.

"Thanks, but I actually ha-"

"Ciao Bella!" Before I could even finish my thought, a delicate hand placed itself on my shoulder. "Does seven tonight still work?"

I don't know how she did it, but Alice Cullen has impeccable timing. I didn't even hear her coming. She just popped up at the best possible moment. I may not want to spend my free time alone with Mike, but I wasn't looking forward to crushing his spirits when I rejected his invitation. At least, with Alice here now, she can confirm that I _do_ have other plans with her. If I alone had just given that excuse to Mike before, he definitely wouldn't have bought it. I mean, come on. I, Bella Swan, will be having Alice Cullen over at my house. _Alice. Fucking. Cullen._ I myself don't believe it. With everything I've been told these past few days, I still feel like the Cullens are these untouchable creatures of mystery and all anyone can do is look onto them from the outside. Well, I guess not now, because in a few hours Alice will be sitting in my room.

Oh god… _Alice will be sitting my room._ The first person from my high school to see my room will be Alice Cullen and my room is far from presentable yet.

Why am I even caring about this? I'm almost positive that if it were Angela coming over I wouldn't give two shits about what state my room was in. Even from what I know of Jess, I wouldn't care. She would judge all she wanted and I would just ignore it. But with Alice, I suddenly feel incredibly self-conscious. This is the girl that carries herself like fucking royalty and dresses like it too. I can only imagine what her home may look like. I can't picture anything less than elegant when I think about it.

"Wait, uh, you two are hanging out tonight?" Mike's grin quickly turned into a grimace as his eyes shifted between Alice and myself in a mixture of disbelief, jealousy, and disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Michael, but Bella is all mine for tonight. We need to get started with this English project as soon as possible." Alice's apology did _not_ sound sincere at all. "I'm afraid La Push will just have to wait."

Now I could be imagining things, but Alice sounded almost completely smug as she broke the bad news to poor Mike. And I swear I saw a little twinkle of pleasure flash through her eyes as Mike's frown grew and grew as she continued to talk. And the way she said _'Bella is all mine"_ there on the surface those words were nothing but playful but I felt her hand squeeze my shoulder tightly as she said " _mine"_ with an emphasis on the word that was barely noticeable, unless you're me and you try to dissect every word this mysterious goddess standing next to me is saying. Then yeah, either I'm imagining things, I'm over analyzing things, or I'm just fucking crazy. It's probably all of the above. But there's still a voice in my head that's freaking out about earlier, about that damn dream, about her eyes, about her peculiar behavior, and I have a feeling that I'll be thinking about every word she's said to me so far today and every word she'll say to me later tonight until I can find some insight on the enigma that is Alice Cullen.

"Isn't that right, Bella?" Alice pulled my back out of my inner ranting and I looked back up to Mike who looked absolutely defeated at this point.

"Yeah, sorry Mike." I shrugged "Rain check?"

"Er, yeah. Another time I guess..." Mike turned, shoulders slumped as he began to walk away from my car. He stopped for a second, looking back and his goofy grin was right back on his face. "I'll hold you to it! Next week you and me, Bells!"

He skipped off and I turned back to Alice, who was beaming a gorgeous smile back at me.

"Did you see him?" She giggled, her hand slipping from my shoulder. "I told you he would freak out! Oh, he looked like I ran over his puppy!"

"Yeah," I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. Her smile was so fucking contagious. "You really crushed his hopes and dreams, Alice."

"Me?!"

"You were the one who told him I had plans tonight!"

"Because it's true!" Alice gasped, her hand flying up to her chest as she pretended to look offended. It only made my smile grow wider. "You just made me do your dirty work!"

"Hey, you didn't seem to be complaining," I fired back as she glared at me with fake irritation.

"Are you suggesting that I _like_ rejecting all your suitors for you, Isabella Swan?"

"I don't have any 'suitors', Alice." I laughed as she smiled back at me.

"I beg to differ," Her voice suddenly took on a more serious tone and smile faded only slightly. "I don't think you realize how much you've captivated some of the people here, Bella."

I was taken aback by the sudden change in her mood. Her eyes had softened as she said that, looking directly into mine, and her smile was almost a sad one. Somehow, I knew, that all the joking aside, this statement was serious and it meant something. It felt as if it meant something to her. But just as quickly as that moment came, it was over again and her playful expression was back.

"You'll be quite the heartbreaker here!" she teased. "I'll meet you at your place tonight. I need to make a stop first."

She turned on her heel with grace and made her way to her car as I finally unlocked my own and got in. I took a moment to reflect before putting my key into the ignition.

Today had been weird. I made a date with Alice Cullen. Well not so much a _date_ date as an evening to hang out and work on a project. How many people here can say that though, I wonder.

There was a knot forming in my stomach as I drove towards my house. I don't know how tonight would go down. Will this be awkward? Will things be weird? I've only experienced two interactions with Alice and so far, both of them have been somewhat brief and somewhat weird, so I'd say that, yes, things will be weird. But that doesn't have to be an entirely bad thing either. There were a lot of questions and concerns going through my head as I thought more and more about tonight, but they all came to halt as one rang through my mind immediately.

I never told her my address.

I don't have her number.

How will she know how to get here?

"Shit."

* * *

Author's Note: Woooooooooooo chapter two is done! Please let me know what you all think so far! What do you like? What don't you like? Your feedback fuels me!


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